Exam time is a major moment of anxiety for young learners -- and the adults who love them. While the holiday season is on the minds of many, for others, it means that exam period is just around the corner. A common school-related question from parents is how to best prepare students for these super-stressful tests.

Several times per semester an article gets forwarded around amongst the students in my PhD program with a message that is some variation of the following: Doctoral studies are pointless. Needless to say, these are depressing, discouraging reads for those of us already pursuing advanced degrees. I enjoy being a PhD student.

Margaret Wente argued that Canadian universities were guilty of "infantilizing," rather than "challenging" students. Ken Coates said universities should function as a "proving ground." But universities were never meant to function as a sorting mechanism for the job market. We should devote the effort and resources necessary to change university education to better serve all students. University shouldn't be more demanding, it should be more engaging.